So, with this background, I'll tell my story. I went to Christ Church in the Old City first thing this morning, but they didn't have anyone who could talk to me - hopefully I'll be more successful on my way back on Tuesday. But it allowed me to catch the tram up to the Central bus station, and from there, take a bus to En Gedi. While fiddling through my backpack to find my book, I had some thoughts that I'll share at the end.
Having arrived at my destination, around 11:45, I went and changed into my swim suit (under my clothes), bought a sandwich for lunch, and headed up the trail. It was good and hot - I checked - 110 (wow! That explains things!). The main trail is very nice - paved and everything. There are 4 or 5 small waterfalls, complete with pools, that one can wade in and cool down in, or sunbathe next to, as one's desire may be.
At one point I misread a sign and scrambled up the side of the mountain that I was not supposed to (the sign was NOT clear), until it became apparent I might die. People below were taking pictures of me, and I decided I better start getting back down - praying all the way. As you can see, I made it. That was stupid decision number one on that hike. But I got some good pictures. And I really don't think it's entirely my fault - there were stairs cut into the mountain for the first while, and everything!
There were some fun things - a kind of tunnel of thick reeds that I walked through, some crystal clear little pools of water, and such things. After about a half hour, tiny blisters began appearing on my right arm - on the forearm and up higher toward my shoulder. It wasn't sunburn - those blisters always appear later, and my arms aren't burned now. I don't know what it was - but maybe just plain reaction to the heat. I didn't wade in the pools past my knees - I figured I'd do that on the way down, so the wet shorts didn't rub my skin too much.
After I reached the main waterfall and took some pictures, I was feeling particularly adventurous. A trail marker pointed to a higher trail leading to a cave. Another sign said that the trail was for fit hikers only. Well, if that wasn't a challenge I couldn't ignore! So, I began up this much steeper, much more difficult path. And I learned so many things:
1. Fit is such a relative term. I am more fit than others, less fit than some. But, I learned I am fit enough. I also, however, that they truly meant that the trail is only for fit hikers. I was good and tired, and blazing hot. I think i may have had some heat stroke.
2. I did not bring enough water.
3. There is no shade, no escape from the heat on this insanely hot trail.
4. It goes up and up (mostly stairs cut into the mountain) for about 1/2 a mile, without mercy, and then continues up and down - some still rather steep - for about 1.5 miles. Remember, it was 110, and I felt it.
5. God is merciful - just at the point where I was starting to worry about myself (either I had stopped sweating - really bad sign - or it was just evaporating so fast I couldn't feel it anymore - in either case, my face was really, truly hot like a fever), I came across a natural water spring. I splashed water all over me, rested a minute, and with a small breeze to cool me down a bit, was OK.
6. I should have taken the hint and just gone back down at that point. But it is not in my nature to quite part-way through. I'll do it, by golly!
7. I should have taken the hint and simply realized that no one else was on this trail for a reason. (Yes, Mom, I thought even in my delirium how you would not like to hear about me hiking this rather dangerous trail alone, bordering on heat stroke - but here it is.)
8. When one is alone on a trail, suffering and in need of encouragement, one talks to oneself. Doesn't one? Well, this one does. A lot.
9. The rocks around a water hole are slippery - one skinned elbow and wet shorts are evidence of that.
10. When about 16 oz. of water (even if it is hot enough for hot cocoa) is all that is keeping you from a what would certainly be a hot, painful death, you really should be more careful with it. This lesson came from my dropping the water bottle, with the lid popping off, and about 2/3 of the water quickly gushing down to join its sister waters in the pool. Ah! What now! Keep going.
11. The cave is really not as cool as it sounded. That could be the heat talking, but it was rather a disappointment - such a hard hike fot that!?
12. Despite the heat, and desire to swim in a crystal clear pool, I have a rather irrational fear of the little crabs I could see running around the bottom. Thus, I only got in up to my hips.
13. It you keep your shirt and hair covering (my camp towel used to keep the sun off a bit - didn't think to bring a hat, and couldn't justify purchasing a hat I don't even like at such ridiculous prices) good and wet at springs as you pass them, you can survive.
14. Maybe I'm not in as good of shape as I like to tell myself I am. My legs were trembling jello when I got down.
15. But still, I repeat, we can do hard things. I am here alive to tell the tale.
So, that was the hike. Thanks to all who have been praying for me - I think today they were very much with me. I ran into a friend that I met up in Nazareth (Mary, from Georgia, with whom we shared a room in Nazareth, and who rode into Tiberias with Anny and me to drop off the car) and rode back on the bus with her. Apparently we're meant to be friends.
I think I'll save my ponderings for tomorrow night. I'm pretty tired and have to get up super early to do laundry and get ready to head back up to Nazareth tomorrow morning. So, I'm calling it a night. I think I deserve the rest.
At one point I misread a sign and scrambled up the side of the mountain that I was not supposed to (the sign was NOT clear), until it became apparent I might die. People below were taking pictures of me, and I decided I better start getting back down - praying all the way. As you can see, I made it. That was stupid decision number one on that hike. But I got some good pictures. And I really don't think it's entirely my fault - there were stairs cut into the mountain for the first while, and everything!
There were some fun things - a kind of tunnel of thick reeds that I walked through, some crystal clear little pools of water, and such things. After about a half hour, tiny blisters began appearing on my right arm - on the forearm and up higher toward my shoulder. It wasn't sunburn - those blisters always appear later, and my arms aren't burned now. I don't know what it was - but maybe just plain reaction to the heat. I didn't wade in the pools past my knees - I figured I'd do that on the way down, so the wet shorts didn't rub my skin too much.
After I reached the main waterfall and took some pictures, I was feeling particularly adventurous. A trail marker pointed to a higher trail leading to a cave. Another sign said that the trail was for fit hikers only. Well, if that wasn't a challenge I couldn't ignore! So, I began up this much steeper, much more difficult path. And I learned so many things:
1. Fit is such a relative term. I am more fit than others, less fit than some. But, I learned I am fit enough. I also, however, that they truly meant that the trail is only for fit hikers. I was good and tired, and blazing hot. I think i may have had some heat stroke.
2. I did not bring enough water.
3. There is no shade, no escape from the heat on this insanely hot trail.
4. It goes up and up (mostly stairs cut into the mountain) for about 1/2 a mile, without mercy, and then continues up and down - some still rather steep - for about 1.5 miles. Remember, it was 110, and I felt it.
5. God is merciful - just at the point where I was starting to worry about myself (either I had stopped sweating - really bad sign - or it was just evaporating so fast I couldn't feel it anymore - in either case, my face was really, truly hot like a fever), I came across a natural water spring. I splashed water all over me, rested a minute, and with a small breeze to cool me down a bit, was OK.
6. I should have taken the hint and just gone back down at that point. But it is not in my nature to quite part-way through. I'll do it, by golly!
7. I should have taken the hint and simply realized that no one else was on this trail for a reason. (Yes, Mom, I thought even in my delirium how you would not like to hear about me hiking this rather dangerous trail alone, bordering on heat stroke - but here it is.)
8. When one is alone on a trail, suffering and in need of encouragement, one talks to oneself. Doesn't one? Well, this one does. A lot.
9. The rocks around a water hole are slippery - one skinned elbow and wet shorts are evidence of that.
10. When about 16 oz. of water (even if it is hot enough for hot cocoa) is all that is keeping you from a what would certainly be a hot, painful death, you really should be more careful with it. This lesson came from my dropping the water bottle, with the lid popping off, and about 2/3 of the water quickly gushing down to join its sister waters in the pool. Ah! What now! Keep going.
11. The cave is really not as cool as it sounded. That could be the heat talking, but it was rather a disappointment - such a hard hike fot that!?
12. Despite the heat, and desire to swim in a crystal clear pool, I have a rather irrational fear of the little crabs I could see running around the bottom. Thus, I only got in up to my hips.
13. It you keep your shirt and hair covering (my camp towel used to keep the sun off a bit - didn't think to bring a hat, and couldn't justify purchasing a hat I don't even like at such ridiculous prices) good and wet at springs as you pass them, you can survive.
14. Maybe I'm not in as good of shape as I like to tell myself I am. My legs were trembling jello when I got down.
15. But still, I repeat, we can do hard things. I am here alive to tell the tale.
So, that was the hike. Thanks to all who have been praying for me - I think today they were very much with me. I ran into a friend that I met up in Nazareth (Mary, from Georgia, with whom we shared a room in Nazareth, and who rode into Tiberias with Anny and me to drop off the car) and rode back on the bus with her. Apparently we're meant to be friends.
I think I'll save my ponderings for tomorrow night. I'm pretty tired and have to get up super early to do laundry and get ready to head back up to Nazareth tomorrow morning. So, I'm calling it a night. I think I deserve the rest.
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| This is the view from my little (illegal) perch. Dead Sea in the distance. |
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| Looking down on one of the pools - a guy lying on sunbathing on a rock in the center (still from my illegal vantage point). |
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| This is a picture of the sign that confused me. See, there are stairs, and it says escape route (which I thought referred to David escaping Saul. On the way down, I observed the small red sign indicating one should not go that direction, and I think it must be referring to an escape from a flash flood or something). |
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| View of the Dead Sea in the distance. |
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| Small section of one of the trails, where I walked in lovely shade/tunnel. |
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| This is called Nahal David, or David's waterfall. |
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| And the view from atop the second, scorching hike. The view was pretty cool, even if the destination wasn't. |
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